building my ego. I suddenly felt as though I needed what she was offering.”
She studied her hands, which she’d clasped in her lap. “And after you left?” she said softly, looking up at him again. “Was life any better?”
He admired her clear, direct gaze and the loveliness of her face. Maybe she had a few wrinkles she hadn’t had when they were newlyweds, but he still found her beautiful. Still loved her, despite everything he’d said and done. “No. I wouldn’t admit it, even to myself. But on some level I knew I’d thrown away everything that really mattered to me.”
“You were going through with the divorce, though,” she said. “You were actually selling the company.”
“After what I did, I didn’t see how I could turn back. Trying to save our marriage would mean telling the truth—” he spread out his hands “—about all of this.”
“And you had too much pride for that?”
“I couldn’t deal with feeling so inadequate.”
He saw tears brimming in her eyes and understood just how deeply he’d hurt her. “Can you forgive me, Claire?” he asked, reaching across the table to take her hand.
After last night, after holding his wife in his arms again and feeling as though he’d finally come home, he was ready to ask for another chance—beg if he had to. He’d made a terrible mistake. And now he had to have the guts to make it right.
“I want to forgive you,” she whispered.
“All I ask is that you try.”
Giving him a watery smile, she nodded.
G UNNER SHOWERED before calling Quincy Senior back. He wanted a few minutes to think—about his father, his mother, the lack of direction in his life during the past eighteen months…and April. But the hour at which he was supposed to meet the others in the lobby was fast approaching. If he didn’t get on the phone right away, he’d lose the opportunity to make amends for the distant way he’d behaved earlier.
“Hello?”
His father answered right away.
“It’s me, Dad.”
“Gunner?”
The question in his father’s voice caused Gunnera fresh twinge of guilt. He was beginning to understand that his behavior stemmed from anger, but looking closer for the cause of that anger, revealed something he didn’t want to see. Basically, he was angry that the wrong parent had died.
“I…” Now that he had his father on the phone, everything Gunner wanted to say fled instantly, leaving him with mixed emotions.
“Is something wrong?” his father said.
“No, I called because…” Why? To admit that he’d been holding out? He didn’t want to put them both through an uncomfortable apology, so he said the only other thing on his mind. “To tell you that I’ve met someone.”
Silence, then, “When?”
Gunner drew in a deep breath. “I’ve known her for a few weeks.”
“She must be special. You’ve never called to talk about a woman before.”
“She is. It’s just that—”
“What?”
Stabbing a hand through his hair, Gunner sat on the bed, wishing he could discuss April with his mother, instead. If Olivia was still there, she’d be full of good advice. But she wasn’t.
Maybe it was time he started accepting the parent he had left. Quincy Senior wasn’t Olivia, but he was trying to establish a better relationship between them.
“She’s the type of girl you marry,” Gunner said.
His father chuckled. “Oh, now I get it.”
“Get what?”
“This one’s serious.”
“No…I’m not sure about that.”
“Because…”
“We’re nothing alike. She’s not my type at all.”
“Something about her must have caught your eye. And it sounds as though, this time, it wasn’t her, uh, legs.”
Gunner couldn’t help the wry smile that twisted his lips. “Her legs aren’t bad, don’t get me wrong. But, no, it’s not the way she looks that really gets me.”
“You see something deeper in her?”
“I think so.”
“Then maybe it’s time for you to settle down.”
Gunner blew out a long sigh.
She studied her hands, which she’d clasped in her lap. “And after you left?” she said softly, looking up at him again. “Was life any better?”
He admired her clear, direct gaze and the loveliness of her face. Maybe she had a few wrinkles she hadn’t had when they were newlyweds, but he still found her beautiful. Still loved her, despite everything he’d said and done. “No. I wouldn’t admit it, even to myself. But on some level I knew I’d thrown away everything that really mattered to me.”
“You were going through with the divorce, though,” she said. “You were actually selling the company.”
“After what I did, I didn’t see how I could turn back. Trying to save our marriage would mean telling the truth—” he spread out his hands “—about all of this.”
“And you had too much pride for that?”
“I couldn’t deal with feeling so inadequate.”
He saw tears brimming in her eyes and understood just how deeply he’d hurt her. “Can you forgive me, Claire?” he asked, reaching across the table to take her hand.
After last night, after holding his wife in his arms again and feeling as though he’d finally come home, he was ready to ask for another chance—beg if he had to. He’d made a terrible mistake. And now he had to have the guts to make it right.
“I want to forgive you,” she whispered.
“All I ask is that you try.”
Giving him a watery smile, she nodded.
G UNNER SHOWERED before calling Quincy Senior back. He wanted a few minutes to think—about his father, his mother, the lack of direction in his life during the past eighteen months…and April. But the hour at which he was supposed to meet the others in the lobby was fast approaching. If he didn’t get on the phone right away, he’d lose the opportunity to make amends for the distant way he’d behaved earlier.
“Hello?”
His father answered right away.
“It’s me, Dad.”
“Gunner?”
The question in his father’s voice caused Gunnera fresh twinge of guilt. He was beginning to understand that his behavior stemmed from anger, but looking closer for the cause of that anger, revealed something he didn’t want to see. Basically, he was angry that the wrong parent had died.
“I…” Now that he had his father on the phone, everything Gunner wanted to say fled instantly, leaving him with mixed emotions.
“Is something wrong?” his father said.
“No, I called because…” Why? To admit that he’d been holding out? He didn’t want to put them both through an uncomfortable apology, so he said the only other thing on his mind. “To tell you that I’ve met someone.”
Silence, then, “When?”
Gunner drew in a deep breath. “I’ve known her for a few weeks.”
“She must be special. You’ve never called to talk about a woman before.”
“She is. It’s just that—”
“What?”
Stabbing a hand through his hair, Gunner sat on the bed, wishing he could discuss April with his mother, instead. If Olivia was still there, she’d be full of good advice. But she wasn’t.
Maybe it was time he started accepting the parent he had left. Quincy Senior wasn’t Olivia, but he was trying to establish a better relationship between them.
“She’s the type of girl you marry,” Gunner said.
His father chuckled. “Oh, now I get it.”
“Get what?”
“This one’s serious.”
“No…I’m not sure about that.”
“Because…”
“We’re nothing alike. She’s not my type at all.”
“Something about her must have caught your eye. And it sounds as though, this time, it wasn’t her, uh, legs.”
Gunner couldn’t help the wry smile that twisted his lips. “Her legs aren’t bad, don’t get me wrong. But, no, it’s not the way she looks that really gets me.”
“You see something deeper in her?”
“I think so.”
“Then maybe it’s time for you to settle down.”
Gunner blew out a long sigh.
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